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| - Piura region did not experience any separatist movements until after Doomsday. Piura was notably the third Spanish city founded on the South American continent, giving rise to a stunning mestizo culture, featuring a unique gastronomy and culture. Following Doomsday, thousands of upper-class and middle-class Chinese migrated into Peru, searching for better life than in devastated China. An estimated 7,000 to 10,000 migrated to the area around Piura via the ports of Paita and Talara. Many joined the existing Chinese community, leading to the creation of a Chinatown in the city centre. These Chinese were already wealthy, and despite having to trade in their Renminbi, patacas, and Hong Kong dollars at low prices, they were able to establish a good quality of life. In order to do this, many bui
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| abstract
| - Piura region did not experience any separatist movements until after Doomsday. Piura was notably the third Spanish city founded on the South American continent, giving rise to a stunning mestizo culture, featuring a unique gastronomy and culture. Following Doomsday, thousands of upper-class and middle-class Chinese migrated into Peru, searching for better life than in devastated China. An estimated 7,000 to 10,000 migrated to the area around Piura via the ports of Paita and Talara. Many joined the existing Chinese community, leading to the creation of a Chinatown in the city centre. These Chinese were already wealthy, and despite having to trade in their Renminbi, patacas, and Hong Kong dollars at low prices, they were able to establish a good quality of life. In order to do this, many built expensive houses on the city's outskirts. By 1995, a group of Chinese known as Kwong Tam Tong had gathered economic power by monopolizing the chifa (Chinese Peruvian restaurant) industry, and exercising economic control of the city politically. This was accomplished by hiring Chinese and indigenous workers to work for low pay, and making deals with other Peruvian corporations. Left-wing Chinese politicians used the opportunity to gain support in Piura, and slanting the Asian Peruvian vote away from the right-wing policies of Alberto Fujimori. This was due in part to Piura's outlying location in relation to the rest of Peru. In 1997, with the beginning of the Andean Conflict and civil war, Chinese residents of Piura tried to avoid persecution by the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement by declaring itself against the Fujimori administration. Ecuador, sensing this political change secretly encouraged Piuran professor Eugenio Chang Cruz to lead a rebellion against the Peruvian government. Kwong Tam Tong was renamed the Piuran Workers' Party, and began recruiting supporters of Alan García, Mario Vargas Llosa, and other opponents to Fujimori. The PWP entered the Andean conflict against the Peruvian government in early 1998. By 1 March 1998, the PWP controlled several hectares of land, and proceeded to declare independence. Although most disapproved of the new Chinese-ruled state, the lower classes felt that it was their only hope to prevent terrorism. In addition, the Chinese upper-class formed the backbone of the Piuran economy and if they collapsed, so would their livelihood. Most opposition came from the middle-class and upper-class mestizos and Europeans. They offered severe resistance in outside the city, and impeded Piura's growth outside a few small areas of control. The Peruvian government was busy fighting in other ares, but this did not stop them from sending troops to Piura, which prevented the Piurans from entering cities such as Chiclayo. Juan Briones Dávila, the leader of the Directorate Against Terrorism, did not wish to lash out for fear of killing innocent people, and decided to exercise restraint. Piura had a large amount of support from nearby Asian communities. By mid-1998, Piura's territory was comprised of many cities along the northern Peruvian coast. The Piurans used military strength to force local officials out of their governments, and holding them hostage in various locations, which included salt flats, remote villages near the Ecuadorian border, and the island of Isla Lobos de la Tierra. However, once the situation with Ecuador was partially resolved, and Peru and Ecuador agreed to a ceasefire, Peru launched a major invasion of Piura. Fighting continued in the city for months until the Peruvian Armed Forces managed to capture Eugenio Chang Cruz in a local chifa. Abdalá Bucáram, the president involved in the secret deals with Piura, was removed from office, and thus conflicts halted almost immediately due to a lack of power structure. The government of Piura was dismantled and the politicians involved were imprisoned or faded into austerity. Since the Andean Conflict, Piura as a city has reborn out of the ashes, becoming a major economic centre for Northern Peru. The Chinese community still exists, but has become more politically moderate. President Marta Chávez granted official pardon to many formerly involved in the government of Piura on the grounds that it was out of wartime chaos that they chose to side with Piura.
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